SPCL Premier Division cricket: Lymington batting exposed in narrow one-run loss

SPCL Premier Division

South Wilts CC 206-9

Lymington CC 205

AFTER being on top during much of the game, the Lymington batting collapsed, sparking a dramatic climax and the narrowest of defeats to league leaders South Wilts, with the final breakthrough coming on the penultimate ball of the final over.

Alvin Cameron (4-45) had his best figures for Lymington with the ball, while Jovan Dhariwal (55) top-scored for Lymington for the second week running.

It was also a game of remarkable catches but equally straightforward drops on a wicket that offered some help to the bowlers, writes Lionel Colby.

Chasing the South Wilts total of 206-9, Lymington were in command at one stage, being 141-2.

The new opening pair of brothers Jovan (55) and Kamran Dhariwal (13) got the side off to a good start, putting on 44 for the first wicket before Kamran was out to Tom Grant (3-28).

Ryan Scott (19) then joined Jovan, putting on 33 before Tom Pearce (3-34) had Scott caught.

Then, Jovan and Monam Abbas, with a welcome return to form (42 in 42 balls), put Lymington in the driving seat, adding 64 runs for the third wicket.

Abbas, and shortly afterwards, Jovan, were then both out to Archie Fairfax-Ross (3-56) with the last eight wickets falling for just 64 runs.

Only Gareth Berg (39 not out), batting at number seven, managed to hang in there, yet Lymington were almost home. That was until Alvin Cameron (0) holed out in the deep to Fairfax-Ross with a rash shot.

South Wilts inevitably celebrated wildly after saving their title challenge from serious jeopardy while stand-in captain Berg looked devastated.

In the South Wilts innings, the Lymington bowlers were in charge until a last-wicket unbroken partnership of 46 between Ryan Freeman (43 not out) and Henry Dunlop (13 not out) gave the total some respectability.

Before then, South Wilts had slipped to 20-3 at one stage, largely thanks to some superb swing bowling from Gareth Berg (2-26).

Harry Broderick (31) and captain Ben Draper (52) then put on 63 runs for the fourth wicket before the former was caught by Ryan Scott off the bowling of Monam Abbas (2-25).

Draper and Archie Fairfax-Ross (36) then put on 51 runs for the fifth wicket, but then Alvin Cameron got both out and took three wickets in six balls, helped by a second brilliant catch by Berg.

There was an even more dramatic one by Asad Abbas with a one-handed catch on the boundary to remove Tom Grant (2), having split the webbing of his other hand, which required a bandage, when spilling a more straightforward catch previously.

Lymington are away to Burridge in the last away game of the season in a limited-overs match with an earlier start of midday on Saturday.